A cute and good looking guy suddenly says Hi to you. You look up and stare into the most incredible pair of blue eyes that you have ever seen. Your gaze slowly looks him over, from his wind disheveled hair to the tips of his toes sticking out of his sandals. As your gaze slowly travels back to his face, you suddenly backtrack and look down on his toenails. Yikes! What a sight! They have the color of dark chocolate and almonds, that is blackish brown and yellow nails, and that’s the entire nail surface. What a turn off!

Have you been in this situation? If you have, you are probably wondering what may have caused that hideous sight. The answer is fungus. Only a fungal infection can make this happen. And what are the toenail fungus causes?

1. Environment

Fungus loves to live on moist, damp areas, especially when their nourishment of dirt and soil is just quite accessible. This is the condition that most foot wear have. During hot weather, your feet tend to sweat profusely. The dampness, combined with the salt in perspiration, is very conducive to the growth of fungi. Ever wondered why your feet stink after you a vigorous workout? This is the fungus at work. And if left untreated, that smell will be paired with another fungal manifestation, discolored toe nails.

It is not only during the hot weather that toenail fungus causes an infection. Even during the wet season, and your shoes get wet because of the rain, fungus can still grow. How? Not a lot of people wear boots when there is a strong downpour. Chances are that when caught outdoors in the rain without an umbrella, your feet will get soaked.

It is quite fine if you manage to get out of those wet shoes immediately and let them dry thoroughly. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen in most cases. The typical scenario is that they get home after hours of having the feet soaked in the rain. They change and let their shoes dry. They use it the next day (because those are their best shoes) even still damp. And this eventually becomes a toenail fungus infection.

2. Proper Hygiene

One of the major toenail fungus causes is improper hygiene. Surprisingly, not all people practice the proper hygiene in terms of thoroughly cleaning the entire body. Taking a shower for 5 minutes does not constitute a thorough cleaning. It is more of dousing your self with water, making the soap run a race around your body, then rinse. Isn’t it any wonder why men are more prone to having a toenail fungal infection rather than women? The meticulousness that women put in taking care of their body is seen in how long it takes them to take a bath. (And that’s only the bath part. Dressing up takes longer.)

Fungus loves dirt. That is their food. Therefore, more dirt, more fungi. More fungi, bigger chances of getting a toenail fungal infection.

3. Topical and Oral Medications

Although not a common cause of a toenail fungal infection, taking too much oral medications such as antibiotics that are not specifically prescribed for the bacteria may cause instead the growth of fungi in the area. This is also true with topical medications. This is the reason why doctors frequently advise their patients to use antibiotics as directed and within the time frame only. They do not want their patients to develop a fungal infection because of it.

Having a toenail fungal infection is a definite turn off. Why? Not just because of its gruesome appearance but because of its cause. Imagine getting an infection because you do not know how to take care of yourself. It reflects how well you can manage your body. Therefore, it is up to you on how to handle yourself to prevent a toenail fungal infection.